City council eyes opening a homeless shelter as it quashes funds for Ark Aid drop-in space

Isha Bhargava · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 18, 2025 5:38 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A metropolis assembly committee is considering asking the Ontario authorities for funds to unfastened a caller structure determination successful London that would make much spaces for unhoused Londoners and offload the pressures faced by agencies moving to bring them indoors during utmost weather. 

The assemblage and protective services committee connected Monday unanimously supported the thought which was pitched by Coun. Hadleigh McAlister, who said challenges for radical uncovering overnight beds this wintertime made him recognize that much structure spaces are needed successful the city. 

"Our work providers did their champion done the acold upwind to escaped up abstraction but I afloat admit that we bash not person capable spaces and I deliberation we person to commencement the enactment of opening a caller shelter," helium said. "I truly bash deliberation we've reached the constituent wherever we request a caller shelter."

McAlister referred to the impermanent overnight structure that was abruptly stationed astatine the Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre successful eastbound London successful January during an utmost acold upwind alert. It opened hours aft 8 frontline societal agencies called for much overnight supports. 

Existing overnight shelters successful the metropolis see the Centre of Hope, Men's Mission and the Ark Aid Mission.

Coun. Susan Stevenson, whose ward includes the Ark's 696 Dundas Street location, which has been a constituent of contention among concern owners owed to the over-saturation of societal agencies successful the Old East Village area, supported the thought of different shelter.

However, Stevenson questioned whether the metropolis was pursuing done connected its Whole of Community effect which was intended to determination distant from shelters and toward highly supportive lodging and an encampment strategy.  

"There's nary question there's a need. I would similar to person shelter beds than resting spaces truthful we don't have this lottery each time to find retired who gets a furniture that night," she said. "I enactment this but I don't spot however this fits into our plan."

In response, McAlister said the homelessness situation can't beryllium tackled with conscionable 1 solution, and a multi-faceted attack is needed to code its complexities. Another structure would beryllium 1 portion of a larger puzzle, helium added. 

Kevin Dickins, lawman metropolis manager for societal and wellness development, said metropolis unit person approved 3 abstracted highly supportive lodging projects which would full much than 200 units, on with a 60-bed provincial HART Hub, operated by CMHA Thames Valley, which is acceptable to unfastened adjacent month. 

Ark Aid drop-in abstraction backing rejected

The committee gave a much than $510,000 rise to The Salvation Army Centre of Hope to person 18 women's-only exigency structure spaces from April 1 to the extremity of March, 2026. 

It besides approved $3 cardinal dollars for the Ark Aid Mission to run 70 overnight beds astatine its Cronyn Warner location, which was welcomed by its enforcement manager Sarah Campbell. 

The bureau initially asked for a full $3.6 million, with $610,577 going toward a "day drop-in space" to connection basal services similar showers, meals and laundry astatine its Dundas Street location, but the committee voted against it, asking for much accusation connected however it differs from overnight shelters. 

"Stabilizing services is critical," said Campbell. "The implications of reducing backing for different areas of services that request to beryllium stabilized is thing you request to consider."

Campbell said accordant backing is important to proceed gathering the precocious demand, and allows the Ark to program ahead. Funding changes will prevent it from continuously being capable to enactment radical successful need, she said. 

Councillors volition ballot connected the matters connected April 1.